JPH0635264B2 - Doze state detection device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for detecting a driver's dozing state.

2. Description of the Related Art As a device for detecting a drowsiness of a driver who is driving a vehicle by a drowsy state detecting device and issuing a warning when the drowsy state is detected, a dangerous driving is prevented. No. 71338 is known. This configuration will be briefly described as follows. That is, when the driver feels drowsiness, he / she presses the switch, which activates the device and outputs a message. This message is, for example, "Please press the switch after 60 seconds."
That is. When the driver determines that 60 seconds have passed, he pushes the switch. On the other hand, the device measures the time until the switch is pressed, finds the difference between this time and 60 seconds, and issues a warning according to the difference. In this way, the condition of one's own body is inspected, the degree of drowsiness is discriminated, and the dozing driving is prevented.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above conventional device, the driver is
It's very annoying because you always have to count the time in your head. In addition, if the set time is lengthened to eliminate the troublesomeness, there is a problem that the snooze cannot be detected because a considerable error occurs with respect to the set time even in a normal state without drowsiness.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a doze state detection device that can reliably detect the doze state while reducing the burden on the driver.

Means for Solving Problems The present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a switch operated by a driver, an informing means for informing the driver of a switch operation request, and a notification start of the informing means. A doze state detection device, comprising: a determination means that determines that the switch is in the doze state when the switch is not operated within a predetermined time.

Effect According to the present invention, the notification means notifies the driver to operate the switch at every set time, but when the driver is normal, it is possible to notice that the notification has been performed, so it is possible to set a predetermined period from the start of notification. Doze state is not detected by operating the switch within the time. But if you're asleep or
In a state close to this, I do not notice that the notification was done, so the switch is not operated within a predetermined time,
This makes it possible to detect the driver's dozing state.

In this way, the operation required of the driver is a simple operation of operating the switch when the notification is noticed,
The burden on the driver is light and the dangerous state can be reliably detected.

Embodiments of the Invention An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, reference numeral 1 is an ignition (hereinafter referred to as IG) switch for operating an engine, and 2 is an alarm means which is controlled by a microcomputer 9 to issue an alarm at every set time. It is composed of a light emitting element 3 which emits a light beam inside and a light emitting means which comprises a drive device 4 which drives the light emitting element 3. A buzzer may be used instead of the light emitting element 3 to give a sound alarm. 5 is a switch provided on a steering wheel or a front panel and operated by a driver, 6 is a buzzer which is an in-vehicle warning means for issuing a warning in the vehicle, and 7 is a lamp for instructing to stop driving, for example, "You are tired. Please blink. Note that instead of this lamp, voice suspension may be used to give an instruction to stop the operation. Reference numeral 8 denotes a vehicle outside warning means for issuing a warning outside the vehicle, which is a horn, a high beam or a hazard lamp. In this embodiment, a horn is used. A microcomputer 9 is a control means that is activated by turning on the IG switch 1, and controls the alarm means 2, the buzzer 6 that issues a warning inside the vehicle, the lamp 7 that issues an instruction to stop driving, and the horn 8 that issues a warning outside the vehicle. To do.

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the light emitting element 3 is provided on the upper portion of the front panel in the automobile so that the light rays thereof can be seen by the driver. Therefore, this light emitting element 3
When you turn on, the light rays are reflected by Freund's glass,
Alternatively, direct light enters the eyes of the driver. Further, the light emitting element 3 may be arranged in a rearview mirror in the automobile so as to directly emit a light beam to the eyes of the driver.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operation executed by the microcomputer 9. When the IG switch 1 is turned on and started, the process proceeds to step S1, the microcomputer 9 is initialized, and the process proceeds to step S2. In this step S2, the number of times that the routine described below is carried out, that is, the number X of processing decisions is accumulated, and the process proceeds to step S3. Here, it is determined whether the processing determination is the first execution or the second or subsequent execution. First, when the operating condition is entered and the process determination is the first time, the process proceeds to step S4, the timer 1 is operated to start counting from zero, and the process proceeds to step S5. Here, since the operation is just started and it is in a normal operation state, the set time T1 is set to, for example, 60 minutes, and the process waits in step S5 until the elapsed time T1 of the timer 1 has elapsed 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, the process goes to step S11 to turn on the light emitting element 3.

Thus, when the light emitting element 3 is turned on in step S11,
In step S12, the timer 2 is activated to start counting from zero and the process proceeds to step S13. In steps S13 and S14, it is determined whether the reaction time T2 from when the driver receives the light emission until the switch 5 is operated, that is, whether the elapsed time by the timer 2 is within a predetermined time, for example, 5 seconds. If the switch 5 is operated within 5 seconds, the process proceeds to step S22, and if not operated within 5 seconds, the process proceeds to step S15 to activate the buzzer 6,
A warning is issued in the vehicle and the timer 3 in step S16 is started counting from zero. Next, in steps S17 and S18, the driver notices by the timer 3 after the warning is issued until the elapsed time T3 reaches a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds, and the switch 5
It is determined whether or not was operated. If the driver operates the switch 5 within 10 seconds, the process proceeds to step S19, increments the cumulative warning count A warned in the vehicle by 1 and proceeds to step S22, and if the warning is continued for 10 seconds or more, doze or When it is determined that the condition is close to this, the horn 8 also issues a warning outside the vehicle (step S20). (A high beam or a hazard lamp may be turned on at the same time as the horn 8.) In step 21, it is judged whether or not the driver notices the warning by the buzzer 6 and operates the switch 5. Then, when the switch 5 is operated, the process proceeds to step S27, where the reaction is delayed enough to issue a warning outside the vehicle,
The number of warnings A is set to 3 in order to generate an operation stop instruction to be described later, and the process proceeds to step S22. However, when the switch 5 is not operated, the warning outside and inside the vehicle is continued.

In this way, after the driver emits light in the field of vision and gives a stimulus, if the reaction time T2 of the driver is a predetermined time, for example, 5 seconds or more, a warning is issued in the vehicle, and the in-vehicle warning time T3 is a predetermined time, for example 10 seconds When the above warning is given, a warning is issued outside the vehicle.
When the driver notices the stimulus of light and sound and operates the switch 5, the process proceeds to steps S22 and S23, the light emitting element 3 is turned off, the warning for the inside and outside of the vehicle is turned off, and the process proceeds to step S24. Here, the time from when the light emitting element 3 emits light until the driver operates the switch 5, that is, the cumulative reaction time T of the response time T2 of step S14 is stored and the process proceeds to step S25. Here, it is determined whether or not the cumulative warning number A stored in steps S19 and S27 is, for example, three or more. If the number of times is two or less, return to step S2,
If the number of times is three or more, the process proceeds to step S26, and the lamp 7 which determines that the driver is extremely sleepy and instructs the driver to stop driving
Flashes and returns to step S2. The process of step S26 is not executed unless X in step S2 is passed three times or more, that is, the route of step S6 → S7 → S8 or step S6 → S9 → S10 described later is performed twice or more in total. When instructed, the instruction continues until the engine is stopped.

In step S2, the number of processing determinations is accumulated as described above, and the process proceeds to step S3. If the accumulated number X is the second or later, the process proceeds to step S6. Therefore, step S4 is passed only when the engine is started, but step S6 is passed thereafter. Here, it is determined whether the reaction time T accumulated in step S24 is within a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds or more. If it is within 10 seconds, the process proceeds to step S7, the timer 1 is operated, and counting is started from zero. The set time here is set to, for example, 30 minutes assuming that the normal operation state is continued, and if it is determined in step S8 that the elapsed time T1 of the timer 1 has passed this 30 minutes, the process proceeds to step S11. The light emitting element 3 is turned on. If the reaction time T accumulated in step S6 is a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds or more, step S9
Then, the timer 1 is activated to start counting from zero. In this case, the set time is set to, for example, 15 minutes because it is becoming drowsiness, and the elapsed time T1 of the timer 1 is set to 15 minutes in step S10. If it is determined that has passed, the process proceeds to step S11 and the light emitting element 3 is turned on.

In this way, the drowsiness level of the driver is determined from the reaction time T, and the switch is operated by emitting light at each set time set accordingly. Therefore, the driver only has to press the switch in response to light and sound, which facilitates the operation.
Also, since the reaction time is getting longer, it is possible to know that the driver is drowsy, and if the switch does not operate within a predetermined time from the start of light emission and light emission, a warning is issued. As a result, dangerous driving can be prevented. If the warning is continued for a predetermined time or longer, it can be determined that the vehicle is in a complete dozing state. At that time, a warning is given to the outside of the vehicle, for example, a pedestrian or another vehicle, so that a large accident can be prevented.

Since the set time and the predetermined time vary depending on the driver, such as the progress of fatigue or the time until drowsiness,
The present invention is not limited to this example.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the driver who is driving can simply press the switch when the notification is given from the notification means, so the operation is very easy and the burden on the driver can be reduced. Further, since the drowsiness state is detected when the predetermined time has passed without noticing the notification, the drowsiness detection can be surely performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a light emitting means, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an operation executed by the microcomputer 9. In the figure, 1 is an IG switch, 2 is an alarm means, 3 is a light emitting element, 4 is a drive device, 5 is a switch, 6 is a buzzer, 7 is a lamp, 8 is a horn, and 9 is a microcomputer.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A switch operated by a driver, an informing means for informing the driver of a switch operation request, and a drowsiness state when the switch is not operated within a predetermined time from the start of informing by the informing means. A dozing state detection device comprising a determination means for determining. 2. The set time according to claim 1, wherein the set time is set shorter as the cumulative time of reaction times from the start of the notification by the notification means to the operation of the switch becomes longer. Drowsiness detection device. 3. The determination means is adapted to determine that the driver is in a more severe dozing state than the dozing state when the number of determinations by the determining means exceeds a predetermined number. The doze state detection device according to claim 1. 4. The doze state detection device according to claim 1, wherein the notification by the notification means is provided by a light emitting means which emits light within the driver's field of view. 5. The warning means is provided for issuing a warning to the driver when it is judged by the judgment means that the driver is in a dozing state, and the switch is not operated even if the predetermined time has elapsed after the warning was given. The dozing state detection device according to claim 1, wherein the determination means determines that the state is a severe dozing state.